Fire and Faith: A Little Sparrow Song
by itakethewords
Summary: Set in 'Little Sparrow', where Soryu and Eisuke have a heart to heart and Eisuke makes more sense than the mob boss in matters of love. Written as a milestone gift. Read Little Sparrow before this if possible.


**Author's Note:** _Hello from the skies above Kansas/Nebraska/Missouri! I am about 36991 feet in the air right now as I post this._

 _This is the third fan gift for my lovely readers and reviewers. This one was for hitting 65 reviews and it is dedicated to **phixxfan100**! Thank you for always being lovely and sticking with this story for a long time! I think since the beginning or close to it, yeah? I did my best with your request and hope it suits you! Stay awesome and stick with me and Suzumi! _

_If you too want a story that you can decide the prompt, then all you have to do is be the 80th review on the full length_ Little Sparrow _story!_

 _Please leave a review here and don't forget,_ Little Sparrow _was updated a couple days ago (from today 8/16), too!_

 **Disclaimer** : _I own my own characters like Suzumi, and the plot, but Voltage owns the rest_.

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 **Fire and Faith: A Little Sparrow Song**

Soryu and Eisuke left Haruka and Suzumi on their own in the Ice Dragons living room. It was an unspoken agreement that they were safe and didn't need their watchful eyes and that they could spare to talk for a few minutes in private. The mob boss lead the business man to his private office space and, after making sure the door shut with a click of finality, turned and eyed him, arms crossed.

"Tonight was dangerous. Even with the intel we had. You are lucky something worse didn't happen."

"I wanted back what's mine."

Eisuke sat in the leather chair opposite of Soryu's head seat, waiting for him to follow his lead. His eyes were cold, mouth drawn tight. The only indication of what had transpired an hour before was the scratch on his cheek and smudge of dirt just below it. Soryu was in a similar state with dirt near his jaw and some scratches on his hands.

Wordlessly, Soryu poured each of them a tumbler of bright amber liquor and they both simultaneously downed the mouthful of burning liquid before Soryu finally took his seat opposite Eisuke. The two men, both seemed to visibly relax for the first time in days, shoulders slumping slightly as they both let out a breath. Catching each other's eyes, they paused before emitting low chuckles.

"You outdid yourself tonight, Eisuke. Setting the house on fire? Was that necessary?"

Eisuke shrugged. "A lesson needed to be learned."

"But Souma wasn't even there."

"But he lost half of a historic, million dollar house and his main base of business. Also, I got rid of that damned room for you."

Soryu hummed, tapping his finger on the rim of his empty glass. "You didn't get rid of that room for me. Admit you did it for Suzumi at least."

"Whatever works." Eisuke looked away, down into his own glass at the leftover drops of amber.

Soryu couldn't help the grin that grew on his lips. "You're never honest about some things. I'm not going to fault you for it or anything."

"Regardless," he said, shifting in his seat, crossing his legs. "I'm surprised at you. All the changes that you've made the last eight months or so."

Soryu leaned back in his chair, ignoring the slight creaking noises it made. He felt as though he knew exactly what his old friend was dancing around, but he didn't want to bring it up in case he was wrong. Eisuke was good at leading people on, trapping them exactly where he wanted them to get his way. He had no qualms about doing it with Soryu or even any of the other men in the penthouse. The only person he couldn't manipulate was Luke, and that was likely because Luke lived in his own world. "Changes?"

"Well… I'll get back to that. What do you plan on doing with this nonsense with Souma?"

Soryu sighed. "We'll have to send as many men as possible out to dismantle any bombs, discard dangerous materials. The more dangerous the location, the more priority it has. We have a handful of locations but I get the feeling the entire island of Odaiba is littered with these dirty bombs and explosives."

"And that's why we have Volkonsky, right? His manpower."

"Yes. Between his own faction of the Bratva and the others he's called in, on top of the Bell Crickets who are sending a hundred men, we can potentially have perhaps two thousand men."

Eisuke frowned. "It doesn't seem like enough when the situation is this bad."

"I never thought I'd hear the day when you'd admit a situation was beyond control, Eisuke. Is the sky falling?"

The older man scowled. "The situation isn't out of my control but if it does set off like dominos, then the sky really will fall. One explosion, no matter how small, is failure." He paused, an idea coming to him. "Soryu. I have an idea."

He didn't like to look on his face, the scowl gone and replaced with a trademark cold smile. One he'd seen during business deals where Eisuke was ready to take everything and give barely anything worthwhile in return.

"Go on."

"Get Taichi Souma out in the open. Meet him in a public place. A park, a restaurant, the Ichinomiya Group building, doesn't matter. Lure him. He's watching us all. The fact he was able to take Haruka despite her defense training _and_ sharp personality _and_ the Tres Spades security… He's watching. Waiting. We can deal with him while the men dismantle explosives and end him."

Soryu's mouth ran dry and he closely looked Eisuke in the face. Stunned, he realized he was serious and he dreaded the answer to the question he was about to ask.

"What's the bait?"

"Suzumi."

"Absolutely not! Are you insane?"

Eisuke scoffed. "Of course not. It makes perfect sense. The next thing, the best thing he wants is her."

"And you're so ready to hand her over? To put her directly in the wolf's mouth?"

Standing abruptly, Soryu began pacing the small office, running his hands through his hair nervously. He could feel Eisuke's eyes follow him, but he didn't care. He had to calm himself from the very thought of using Suzumi. And the fact that she'd probably agree to it if it was laid out on the table for her to consider.

"This is what I was talking about."

"What?" Soryu bit out, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

"When I said you'd changed. When you borrowed Haruka to use as a decoy in the beginning, you didn't seem to care what happened to her. Not then. I know you would now, though. The way you're so passionately refusing to consider Suzumi as bait. You're not the same man you were a year ago."

"What are you trying to say, Eisuke?"

"You know. I'm trying to say you love Suzumi. You're a man in love."

Soryu stopped pacing, completely frozen. He knew that he loved Suzumi. The night she'd nearly be shot and thrown into the river on the main island confirmed it. They were both aware of their feelings and had admitted them to one another. But it was the fact that others had noticed. If Eisuke knew, then the others did too. Just how obvious had he been? Remembering when Eisuke had slowly fallen for Haruka, it had seemed like a gradual process. He'd watched Eisuke's eyes watch her, impassive to tender, his words soften over time. They'd all known it weeks before he seemed to. Had he been the same way?

"Looks like the penny's finally dropped. Do you get it, Soryu? We all know you love her. Love is a cruel mistress but you're going to have to give to take. I propose you bring it up to her, give her the option. Let her plan how it happens. She's smart as hell, I know she can do it. Don't keep her out of the planning."

"But how could I possibly put my woman in that kind of danger? On purpose?" It was slight, barely there, but there was a strain in Soryu's voice.

"Suzumi isn't normal. She wouldn't be able to be with you if she was. The woman she was a year ago probably couldn't have handled this. We don't know. But I do know that she's walked through fire and has been forged by it."

"Fire burns, Eisuke. She's been burned."

The business man sighed in frustration and stood, standing nearly toe to toe with the mob king. "She got burned but she's still standing. She healed. We've all been burned, but look where we are. Who we've all become. Do you think I'd be as successful as I am if I'd cowered years ago in school? To those who didn't want me to take over the Ichinomiya Group? If you hadn't fought to take back the Ice Dragons?" Eisuke put both hands on Soryu's shoulders and shook him slightly. "I'm telling you now, something that I know you know so well already. Suzumi is a strong woman. Put faith in her. Put faith in _us_ that we can keep her safe. We would have a plan. We never rush into these things without a plan."

Eisuke let out a breath, taking away his hands and stomping over to the liquor bottle. "You're damn stubborn. I didn't think love would make it worse." He poured himself a drink and knocked it back before pouring another.

Soryu muttered something under his breath, and Eisuke told him to repeat himself. "I said, how do you say it so easily to another man? To me?"

"What?" A grin lit Eisuke's features and Soryu knew his senior was teasing him.

"Damnit, Eisuke. That. Love. How do you talk about it so easily?" His face was lit red like a neon sign and he sighed at the laughter in the room.

"It gets easier." Soryu's eyes widened, seeing the tender look on Eisuke's face. The one he usually reserved for only Haruka and even sometimes his sister when she occasionally visited. "It becomes a part of you. The feelings involved. It's matter of fact, almost like breathing."

"Even when talking to someone like me?"

He nodded. "Habits are hard to break. This is one you don't usually mind keeping. Though, let's be honest, I don't act like this and talk about it with Mamoru or Baba like I do you, Soryu."

"I know."

There was near silence in the room, the only sound was Eisuke pouring another drink for Soryu and the mobster's murmur of thanks.

"Do me a favor. Don't bring the lure idea to her before I do."

Eisuke gave him a hard look. "But you are, right?"

He sighed. "Yes. Maybe tomorrow."

"We don't have a lot of time. We should nip this all now, in the next few days."

"I know," Soryu repeated.

"I've been meaning to ask, that information I found for you. Regarding Suzumi's father. Did you give it to her yet?"

Soryu shook his head. "No. I know you saw it on the desk."

"Why are you hesitating? She has the right to know.

"Could you so easily tell the woman you love that her father sold her to pay off gambling debts? Imagine the look on her face. The exact moment her heart breaks and what's left of her cherished memories deteriorates. Is that a look you would be okay seeing on Haruka's face?"

Eisuke didn't answer him, face turned away in a scowl with knit brows. The answer was obvious. Even he, cold and blunt, business-oriented as he was, didn't want to fathom that face. On Haruka or Suzumi. Striding to the desk, Eisuke picked up the file in question and thrust it at Soryu.

"Give it to her tonight."

"Eisuke?"

"Fire. Forged. Faith. Just do it." He could barely keep the annoyance out of his voice. "I'm leaving. I need to get Haruka to that Kujo doctor before the pain meds Suzumi will have given her have worn off. I'll see you later in the penthouse, right?"

Soryu nodded. "I have a detour to make, but yes. You'll see me in the morning. We won't be late."

"Nine sharp. I have a bad feeling about whatever Ota and Baba will have found. I need to call Baba anyway on the way back, he sent me a text with info in it I have had the chance to read."

"Volkonsky's men are due in at eight and the other Bratva throughout the morning, so that's fine."

"What's your detour? It's rare for you to stop anywhere this late."

Soryu sighed. Eisuke was the only one, that he was aware of, who knew of its existence anyway. "My condo."

"Fine. Like I said, give Suzumi some credit. Do it tonight." Eisuke fixed Soryu with his sharp eyes for a moment before striding out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

He looked down at the folder in his hands, thumbing through the pages half heartedly. He was lost in thought when he heard soft footsteps and her quiet voice.

"Soryu?"

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 **A/N:** _Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think! See you back at_ Little Sparrow _and at the next milestone side story!_

 _Itakethewords_


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